After the Show
by Cassie Winters
Summary: NS Inspired by scenes from After the show. Most likely a one shot fic.


After the Show

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Disclaimer and A/N: I own nothing, sadly. This has probably been done before, but I got season four on dvd for Christmas and while watching After the Show decided to attempt writing something for all my fellow Snickers out there. Hope this is enjoyable and not complete trite. Oh, and a lot of spoilers for After the Show if you haven't seen it. I took a lot of direct dialogue out of it. So if it sounds well written, technical, and is full of detail... It doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the writers of that episode.

Odds are this will be a one shot unless I somehow find inspiration to continue this, which is highly doubtful. I still have 2 WIPS that I haven't updated in ages. And I apologize for typos or grammatical errors. I don't have a beta.

"I don't believe this." Sara said while looking for a file. She finds it and sits at the table across from Nick.

"What does it matter? We're all on the same team." Nick replied in his usual cool manner. Sara couldn't fathom how Nick could be so calm after what Catherine had pulled.

"Nick, it was our case. You said it: You wait a career for a case like this. Puts us on the front line for promotion."

Nick looked up from the files he was looking at. "Let's just find her, okay?"

"You know what the worst part about this whole thing is?" Nick looked at Sara. "Catherine knows I can do this case."

In a slightly lowered voice Nick said, "So can I."

Sara shook her head. "I would take you and me over Catherine and Greg anytime."

Nick stopped his actions and looked surprised. "She's got Greg helping her?"

"Yeah."

After the initial shock, Nick calmed down and rationalized. "Well, the only way to learn is by getting out in the field, and if Greg helps find her, I'm okay with that."

Sara looked at Nick. " How can you be so calm about this? I don't get it... I don't get you."

"What is there to get Sara? Whether we like it or not, Cath's in charge of this case. We are still working on it and we are all on the same team. All that matters is that we get this guy. This is about Julie Waters, not us. We'll get our case one day but it's just not this one."

She sighed. "You're right. This isn't about us, but Catherine can just make me so angry sometimes. I don't know why it gets to me."

"It's all right. You just need to take a step back from work once in a while. Calm down. There is more to life than work. "

"Oh jeez, not the 'Sara, you need to find a distraction before you burn out' speech again." Sara gave Nick a small smile to show she wasn't serious. Nick smiled back, glad to see her a little more calm.

"Okay, I'll spare you the speech, but you're not getting off that easy." Nick glanced down at his watch. "You know what? We've been working for too long without a break or food. Come on... lets pick up some food for everyone."

"But Nick, we are still working. We need to try and find some connection. I-"

Nick stood up and starting walking over to Sara's side of the table." Enough of your objections Sidle. You're coming with me if you like it or not." Nick pulled Sara's chair back to give her enough room to stand up. He closed the file she was looking at and grabbed her elbow to pull her up. She looked up to him with her patented stare. Nick just chuckled. "Please. Do you honestly think your Sidle-Death-Glare can scare me?"

Sara stood up. "Fine, I'll go with you. And I'll have you know, most men cry after receiving the... what did you call it, 'Sidle-Death-Glare."

"Well," Nick smiled, "I'm not most men."

_'Don't I know it._' Sara thought.

Nick and Sara drove in a companionable silence for the first few minutes to the Chinese restaurant the CSIs frequently ordered from. Sara let out a barely audible sigh as she looked out the passenger side window. Nick quickly glanced over. He wished Sara wouldn't take work so seriously all of the time. Sure their job wasn't the easiest in the world to deal with, but there is political crap in every job and no matter what you do for a living, you have to deal with it. He had also heard what Delhomme had said in the interview room: 'I'll talk ... only for the one in the next room -- The Pretty One.' He seriously hoped Sara didn't take what that psycho said to heart. Cath may be beautiful, but in Nick's eyes, she paled in comparison to Sara. He wished Sara could see how great she really was.

"Hey...Sar?"

"Yeah?"

"Whatcha thinking about?"

"Huh?" She was a little startled by Nick's question. She had been off in La-La Land. This case was not enjoyable at all, and she couldn't wait for it to be over. Not to mention, she felt like crap after what Delhomme had said. She knew she shouldn't take it personally because Delhomme was disturbed, but it still hurt. She had never been the pretty one. She had been the smart one, the responsible one. "Oh...nothing."

That was a lie. She hated lying, especially to Nick, but she couldn't tell him what she was really thinking about, which was him. Sara couldn't help but acknowledge her growing feelings for her co-worker. She had found him to be attractive since the first time they met about four years ago, but she had her Grissom blinders on then and never would have thought herself to be Nick's type. Like she said, she had never been the pretty one and according to Greg, Nick had quite the reputation as a ladies' man and he was used to dating beautiful women. After Sara had gotten over her infatuation with Grissom, she had worked a lot of cases with Nick. She didn't mind because they worked so well together. Their different approaches to their job complimented each other quite well and subsequently led to their great solve rate. But as they worked together more and spent more time together, she found herself falling more and more for her incredibly kind and sexy as hell co-worker. Then working with him became almost tortuous. She loved working with him and being near him, but at the same time she knew they would never be together and there was no chance in hell he would be attracted to her. He was so close to her yet so far away at the same time.

"You're a horrible liar, you know that?" Nick glanced over and flashed Sara a quick smile before returning his attention to the road.

Sara smiled at Nick's uncanny ability to read her. "Yeah, well... It's better I not burden you with the crap that goes through my head."

"Try me. I'm a good listener you know." Nick's sincerity was evident in his voice.

_'Gah. He won't stop until I tell him something. What the hell should I say? Damn it. You know what? Screw it. I'll tell him what I was thinking, just a little more abstractly. No risk, no gain right? Even though the last time I took a risk it bit me in the ass.'_

"Okay. Um... You know how you guys are always telling me I need a distraction or I'll burn out?"

Nick nodded. Sara continued.

"Well... I sort of found one but... He is a little bit too distracting sometimes."

Nick's heart sank. _'Crap. He? Is she dating someone or something? Good jobs Stokes. You should have asked her out ages ago. Idiot.'_ Nick finally found his voice. "He?"

"Yeah."

"Do I know him?" Nick asked. He wanted to know who it was. If he couldn't be with Sara, he at least wanted to know that whoever she was with was good enough for her. He didn't want her getting hurt by another asshole like Hank.

"You could say so."

"How do you know him?"

"Uh...through work."

_'She isn't talking about Grissom, is she? I thought she was over him. Who else could it be? I mean Greg isn't her type at all. Warrick is too much of a big brother to her. Hodges? Ha, yeah right. Who else could it be?_'

Sara continued when Nick didn't say anything. "He's a really great guy. He's smart, kind and a great all around guy, but I'm not his type."

"Why don't you think you're his type?"

"Because I'm not pretty enough."

Nick spoke without thinking. "Sara, you're beautiful." _'Crap... Wasn't supposed to say that out loud.'_

Sara turned to look at Nick. She had never expected him to say that, ever. He looked almost, well embarrassed. Could it be that maybe, just maybe, Nick returned her feelings? There was only one way to find out.

"Nick, do you know who I'm talking about?"

"Can't say that I do."

Sara couldn't help but let a small nervous chuckle escape. "Your CSI skills are lacking, Stokes. Maybe some details will help paint a clearer picture." Nick pulled into the parking lot and turned off the ignition as he waited for Sara to continue. "He's a few inches taller than I am, brown hair, brown eyes, a fine body, and has an accent that can make the girls melt."

Sara watched Nick as he took it all in. When he didn't react right away, she wasn't sure if it was because he didn't get it or something else. Finally, Nick turned to look into Sara's eyes with realization evident, along with something else Sara couldn't quite place, but she knew it was a look she had seen before.

"Sar... I...You..."

Sara tried to lighten the moment. "Senior moment Nicky?"

"Funny...No. I just never thought that you would feel that way about me. I didn't think I was good enough for you. You're so beautiful and smart...I just never thought I would be your type."

Sara blushed. As much as she hated being all girly, she couldn't help it. She wasn't used to someone complimenting her so much, especially someone like Nick.

"Sar...after this case is solved, do you want to get something to eat?"

"Is there ever a time you aren't thinking about food?"

Nick laughed. "Nope."

"I'd love to. But I do believe we have some Chinese food waiting for us and a bunch of hungry irritable people waiting back at the lab for their food."

"You're on Sidle. Let's go."

The group was highly appreciative of the food Nick and Sara brought back. After a quick break, the group was back to work. With fairly fresh eyes, Nick and Sara were able to find a connection between Julie Waters and Robyn Knight; Delhomme had been their photographer. As they continued working on the computer, Catherine entered. Despite Sara's better mood since lunch, she was still a little angry with Catherine.

"Hey. How's it going?" Catherine asked as Nick and Sara continued working. Sara was on the computer with Nick standing closely behind her. It wasn't unusual for them to work in such close proximity so it didn't seem out of the ordinary.

"Your case. You tell us." was Sara's icy reply. Nick could feel her tense slightly and discreetly leaned in so his arm brushed lightly against her back. It sent a wave of heat through out her that spread quickly. It reminded her of their chat earlier and she did her best to keep her attitude in check. But if she was going to be honest about it, she was doing a pretty lousy job.

Catherine rattled off the facts. "The odometer of the Maserati had 142 miles on it. The car dealer said that the vehicle only had nine miles when DelHomme picked it up. That means Delhomme drove it for 133 miles. If you do the math, that makes the search radius approximately 66 miles."

"Julie's vehicle was found in the parking lot of Dante's Pizza, off Boulder highway. That's what? 12 miles away?" Nick said.

Sara entered the information into the computer, her mind in full work mode.

"It's probably where she hooked up with DelHomme." Catherine deduced.

"So they hopped in the car and went to a photo shoot."

Sara was still a little doubtful. "If they did do a photo shoot, and we don't even know that they did, where are the photos?"

Just then Greg entered the room.

"I finished the DNA from the car. Matches the reference Sara got from Julie's apartment. And the snack shop? It's the one on Granite's pass." Sara marked down the information onto the map. "I also found out what the household item was on the receipt." Greg paused. "It was a shovel."

It came to Sara. "He'd already killed her."

Catherine nodded. "That explains the blood and the hair in the back seat of the

Maserati."

"He drove her body to the snack bar and went back and buried her. Question is where?" Nick looked at the map on the screen.

Sara stated, "Robyn Knight washed up near Furnace Creek." As the others talked, Catherine looked over at the photos on the table. She recognized the rock formations in the background.

"That's "Devil's Smile."

Shortly after arriving at the scene, they found the body. From there, they were able to get the evidence they needed to put Delhomme away. It had taken a long time and took a lot out of the team, not to mention it put strains on their relationships, but at the end of the day it seemed to have all worked out.

Nick walked into the locker room with a smile on his face.

"What's up with you man?" Warrick asked and he put his gear into his locker.

"Nothin'. Why?"

"After an exhausting case like this, you just look way too happy."

"We caught the guy and I finally get to go home. Why wouldn't I be happy?"

"How about the whole deal with Catherine and Greg?"

"That?" Nick asked. "No big deal. I'm over it. It all worked out and that's all that matters.

"You are so full of it man. You're holding out on me. There's something you aren't saying." Warrick studied his friend. He was usually an easy read and something was definitely different about him. The look on his face was an obvious one.

"You finally did it, didn't you?"

"Did what?" Nick wasn't about to say anything. He didn't know if Warrick really knew anything, and even if he did, he didn't think that Sara would want everyone to know that as of that afternoon, they were dating.

"You told Sara how you feel, didn't you?"

Nick didn't say anything, but the red hue creeping into his cheeks and the grin he failed to suppress told it all.

"It's about damn time man. Congrats. I won't say anything if you don't want me to. But remember: if you hurt her, I will hurt you." Warrick laughed. He knew Nick loved Sara and would never do anything to hurt her, but he had to tell him anyway. He was protective of Sara, especially after Hank.

"No problem man. And yeah, if you could just keep it a secret, we'd both appreciate it. This is still new and it would be better if the whole lab didn't know."

"Got it. See ya tomorrow."

Warrick left just as Sara entered the locker room. She walked over to her locker, which just so happened to be next to Nick's.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Well...this isn't awkward." Sara chuckled.

"Listen. I think before we start dating we should talk a little." Sara's stomach dropped a little at Nick's statement. "It'll help make the transition from best friends to, well as cheesy as it sounds, 'boyfriend and girlfriend' a little easier."

Sara smiled. "Okay." She sat down on the bench and Nick sat down next to her.

"I want you to trust me and feel comfortable. I really like you Sara. I should have told you sooner, but I guess I was too coward. But I'm glad you took the risk you did today. I want us to be happy together. And I don't want you to be paranoid or apprehensive. I know you've been burned in the past, but I'm nothing like those guys, and I would never ever do anything to hurt you. I would rather die than cause you pain."

Sara smiled and blushed as Nick's monologue. She knew he meant every word. She could see it in his eyes. She grabbed his hand with both of hers. "I believe you. I trust you Nick, more than I trust any one else. You know more about me than any one. Relationships scare me; I'll admit it. They are such fragile things and I've seen so many be destroyed." Sara paused. "This seems so surreal." She laughed and so did Nick.

Nick stood up. "Come on." He took her hand pulled her up. "I do believe I owe you breakfast or dinner. I don't know anymore. I've lost track of time."

"Okay. Just give me a second." Sara quickly stowed her gear and turned to Nick. "Okay, I'm ready." Sara meant more than what was on the surface of that 'I'm ready.' She was ready to go to breakfast, but she was also ready to start a new life; a happier life that included a life outside of the lab, a life that included Nick.

A/N: Yeah... it got cheesy at the end and it really doesn't have a point. I had no clue where I was going after the first two parts of the story. Anyway, feel free to review, just please don't flame me. I have thin skin lol. But constructive criticism is okay.


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